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Riyaad-us Saaliheen : Fear (of Allah)

409.  Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (RA) reported:  Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "How can I feel at ease when the Angel of the Trumpet (Israafil) has put his lips to the Trumpet and is waiting for the order to blow it."  He (SAW) perceived as if this shocked his Companions, so he (SAW) told them to seek comfort through reciting: 'HasbunAllaah wa ni'mal-Wakeel {Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us)}'"    (At-Tirmidhi)

1.  This Hadith tells us about the fear of Allah and the fright of the Hereafter entertained by the Prophet (SAW) and his Companions.  It has a lesson for us that how, in spite of being innocent and having the assurance of the forgiveness of Allah, they were always fearful of Allah and the horrors of the Day of Resurrection.  As against them, we are immersed in sins, neglect and violate the Divine injunctions day and night but even then we have neither the fear of Allah nor the fright of the Day of Resurrection.

2.  In the event of fear and anxiety one should seek the help of Allah and frequently recite the Verse of the Noble Qur'an (3:173).

Under the Shade of Swords

Narrated 'Abdullah bin Abi Aufa: Allah's Apostle said,"Know that Paradise lies under the shade of swords." 
Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 52, Number 73

Under the Shade of Swords

Prayer Tips

It is reported on the authority of Abu Barazah Al-Aslami (RA) that:  "The Prophet (SAW) used to delay the 'Isha prayer--which they call Al-'Atamah--and he disliked sleeping before it and speaking after it."  This is an authentic Hadith.

(Narrated by Ahmad, Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and At-Tirmidhi)

**Basically, we can understand from this hadith that praying the 'Isha prayer should be the last thing that we do before going to sleep for the night.  As long as we're going to sleep at a reasonable hour, etc.

Kids Corner by Abdullah

The Story of Qarun

A long time ago there was a very rich man.  His name was Qarun.  He kept his wealth in special rooms.  The rooms were locked by big, strong locks that needed big, strong keys.  He was so rich that he had his own army and servants.  He could start a war with his army if he wanted to.  No one could stop him, so he thought.  He had so many blessings, yet he never thanks Allah (swt) for these things.  

Qarun extravagantly showed off and boasted about how he was personally responsible for all of his wealth and power.  His people told him not to forget Allah.

One day, he wore his finest clothes into town to show off and Allah made the ground shake and split, and the Earth swallowed up ALL of his wealth and possessions.  No one saw Qarun again, and the people were taught a valuable lesson:  Every blessing comes not from our abilities, but from Allah (swt), so be grateful to Allah.

By: Abdu

What is bringing the Ummah close to Victory?

By Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki.

Friday : Jumu'ah

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِي لِلصَّلَاةِ مِن يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ

اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

" O ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday ( the Day of Assembly), hasten earnestly to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off business ( and traffic): that is best for you if ye but knew!" 

(Al-Jumu'a 9)

That "Single day" can be only a "Friday" when all the righteous acts. including that of 'Friday prayer" may be performed.

Abu Sa'eed Khudri ( Allah be pleased with him) reports that reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) observed:

"One who recites Surah Kahf ( The Cave) on Friday, will have radiant light glowing for him between the two Fridays."

Abu Hurairah ( Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) observed:

"Seventy thousand angles ask for the forgiveness of the person who recites Surah Dukhan ( Smoke) on Friday night and he gets all his sins pardoned."  (Tirmidhi)

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said:

"There is an auspicious moment on Friday during which and supplication addressed to Allah is graced with Divine acceptance."    (Bukhari)

Mishary Rashid

Surah Al-Kahf

Surah Ad-Dukhan

Qur'an: Ayah of the Week

Al-Mumtahina, Verse 2

إِن يَثْقَفُوكُمْ يَكُونُوا لَكُمْ أَعْدَاء وَيَبْسُطُوا إِلَيْكُمْ

أَيْدِيَهُمْ وَأَلْسِنَتَهُم بِالسُّوءِ وَوَدُّوا لَوْ تَكْفُرُونَ

If they have the upper hand of you, they will be your foes, and will stretch out their hands and their tongues toward you with evil (intent), and they long for you to disbelieve.

**Please note the end of the ayah: (wa waduu law takfuruun) "...and they long for you to disbelieve".  The enemies of Islam will not stop until you give your Deen.

Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki: Book Review From Behind Bars

THE LATEST POST FROM IMAM ANWAR AL-AWLAKI (May Allah Be Please With Him)

Book reviews from behind bars:

Assalamu alaykum all,
In this set of short blogs I will review the books that I had a chance to read while I was in jail. Here is the first:
This was during my first two months in the Political Security Jail. This was a time when I was allowed no visitors, no contact with family, and no contact with other prisoners. In fact I wasn’t even allowed to speak to the prison guards except in whispers and only for urgent needs. This was a time of complete isolation from the outside world.
I was in an underground solitary cell made up of four concrete walls with an iron gate on one side and on the opposite side a small window -rather a hole- covered with iron mesh to allow for some fresh air to come in. I couldn’t see much from it because it was about four meters high. Then there was the roof with a bulb hanging from it which was on continuously day and night. Then the floor with a mattress 2-3 inches thick, a blanket, a worn off pillow, a plastic plate, a bottle for water, and an empty bottle “just in case”.

And then there was a Quran…
In this environment there is nothing to do and nothing to read but the Quran, and that is when the Quran reveals it secrets. When the hearts are clean; when there is nothing clouding the spirit, the Quran literally overwhelms the heart.
I have never in my life felt the Quran so strongly. Thoughts, insights and feelings that I would fail to describe would come with every new verse that I would recite. Reading Quran then was not something I would force upon myself but I would recite it with eagerness for hours at end and never lose my concentration. The chapters of the Quran would carry me outside of this world and I would completely forget about my situation until a warden would slam the door open for restroom time or to take me for interrogation. Then I would wake up again to the depressing reality of this world.
So does the Quran speak to us differently in jail?
We approach Quran with a more receptive heart when we are being tested. We also come to understand Quran better when we are separated from the distractions of this world. Both these two elements exist in prison. One thing I came to realize is that the Quran does not open up its secrets to you unless you open up your heart to it. Quran does not spill its pearls to the undeserving.
Ibn Taymiyyah wrote while he was in jail that he had been reciting Quran and reflecting on its meanings and that Allah has opened up the meanings of Quran for him. He said he learned new meanings that scholars would wish to learn. He had learned from it meanings he had never thought of before and he went further to state that he regretted the time he spent in the past learning other aspects of knowledge and not focusing on the Book of Allah. Within a short period he said that he had read the Quran, from cover to cover, eighty times. This was due to the blessings of him being imprisoned. Allah says: “You might dislike a thing and in it Allah puts a lot of good”
During that blessed period of over two months when I was free of any distractions except for the interrogation worries, that is when I came to understand the statement of Uthman (r) when he said: “If the hearts are pure they would never satisfy their thirst from the Book of Allah”
Those moments are so strange to me now, and so different that they do not seem to be a reality, or even a far away memory, but rather seem to be a dream.
We ask you O Allah to make us of those who love your words and contemplate them.
“Indeed in that (i.e. Quran) is a reminder for whoever has a heart or who listens while he is present (in mind)” Sura Qaaf 37.

Next: Madarij al Salikeen by Imam Ibn al Qayim

http://www.anwar-alawlaki.com/2008/06/09/book-reviews-from-behind-bars/

Nurture Your Iman

For those who have ever had to start their own fire, you know how much work it can take to find the right wood, the right tinder and the right location.  

You also know how much physical exertion takes place in generating the amount of friction necessary to actually produce a usable ember.

And when you finally have this delicate ember, you must carefully nourish it and surround it with materials that it can feed on so that it can grow and spread.

In this same manner, we often find our Iman.  Sometimes it is really tough for us, caught up in our daily grind, to generate that spark needed to focus on our Iman.  It takes a lot of 'work'...it takes Salaat with khushoo, sincere du'a, attachment to the Qur'an, contemplation, etc.  And when these things are done with consistancy, and we begin to taste that sweetness of Iman, we must nurture it....

...We must be delicate with our Iman, so as not to fall into self-righteousness.  We must surround our Iman with increased voluntary prayers, increased recitation of the Qur'an and improved overall akhlaq so that our Iman will gain strength and provide as a protection for us from the cold world.

Prayer Tips

It has been reported in the hadeeth of Mu’aawiyah [may Allaah be pleased with him] that he said:

The Prophet [صلى الله عليه وسلم ] ordered us not to join one prayer with another prayer without leaving or speaking [in between]. [Transmitted by Muslim and Abu Daawood]

So the scholars have understood from this that a gap must be made between the obligatory and the Sunnah - either by speaking or by changing one’s place.

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen rahimahullaah in Fataawa Islaamiyyah - [1/346]

Hadith of the Week

Anas bin Malik (RA) reported:

 “I never felt any piece of velvet or silk softer than the palm of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), nor did I smell any fragrance more pleasant than the smell of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).  I served him for ten years, and he never said ‘Uff’ (an expression of disgust) to me.  He never said ‘Why did you do that?’ for something that I had done, nor did he ever say ‘Why did you not do such and such’ for something I had not done.”

                                                                                                (Bukhari & Muslim)

The Battle of the Hearts and Minds

This is the first proper lecture given by the Imam Anwar al Awlaki since his release last year December.

This lecture was delivered to a South African audience via live phone link on Sunday 11 May 2008. It was part of a Conference held by PureIslam Da’wah and Publications themed: Holding on to Hot Coals - Surviving as a Muslim in the West. An important topic that is going unnoticed by the majority of people around the world. With the advancement of communications in the world, the enemies are not only plotting away with their weapons but also with their lies portrayed in the media spreading all sorts of lies to justify the slaughter of innocent human beings.

Brought to you by http://www.anwar-alawlaki.com/

Qur'an: Ayah of the Week

Al-Baqarah, Verse 214

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْاْ مِن قَبْلِكُم

 مَّسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَاء وَالضَّرَّاء وَزُلْزِلُواْ حَتَّى يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ مَعَهُ مَتَى نَصْرُ اللّهِ أَلا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللّهِ قَرِيبٌ 

 Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, "When (will come) the Help of Allah?" Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allah is near!

--Please, let us all take the time to truly ponder these beautiful words from Our Creator...and let us think of the current condition of the Muslim Ummah.

Allah is Preparing Us For Victory (Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki)

II. The Return of Khilafah & do not complain about our times

In the hadith that you must be aware of because it talks about the stages of

our history, Rasoolullah (sallallahu ‘alayhe wassallam) said, “The Prophethood

will last among you for as long as Allah wills, then Allah would take it

away. Then it will be (followed by) a Khilafah Rashida (rightly guided)

according to the ways of the Prophethood. It will remain for as long as Allah

wills, then Allah would take it away. Afterwards there will be a hereditary

leadership which will remain for as long as Allah wills, then He will lift it if

He wishes. Afterwards, there will be biting oppression, and it will last for as

long as Allah wishes, then He will lift it if He wishes. Then there will be a

Khilafah Rashida according to the ways of the Prophethood,” then he kept

silent. (Musnad Imam Ahmad (v/273); Reported by Nou’man ibn Basheer

(radiyallahu ‘anhu))

Prophethood which is the beginning of the hadith ended with the death of

Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhe wassallam). The next stage is Khilafah Rashida

and this is from Abu Bakr al-Siddiq to ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (radiyallahu ‘anhum).

Then he said it will be Mulkan6 which is the Banu Umayyah, Banu ‘Abbas and

al-Khilafah ‘Uthmaniyyah. Then after that, he said it will be dictatorship, which

we are living under today; it is oppressive rule. Then after that it will be

Khilafah Rashida.7

Sometimes we complain about our times, that we are living in the worst times

– the Ummah is weak, the Ummah is defeated and disunited, we wish we were

living in the time of the Sahabah (radiyallahu ‘anhum) or times of the heroic

Islamic eras.

The following are reasons why we should not complain about our times:

First Reason: One of the Tabi’een8 said to one of the Sahabah: “How did you

treat Rasoolullah (sallallahu ‘alayhe wassallam) when he was among you?” So a

Sahabi talked about how they used to treat the Prophet and that they did their

best. The Tabi’9 responded by saying, “If the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhe

wassallam) was living in our time we would have carried him on our

shoulders.” What the Tabi’ was trying to say is that the Sahabah did not treat

him good enough and if he was living with them, they would have treated

him better than the Sahaba. The Sahabi replied, “A person does not know what

they would have done had they lived in that time; we were fighting our

fathers and brothers and it was not an easy thing. Now your fathers and

brothers and family are Muslims; you imagine you are going to treat

Rasoolullah (sallallahu ‘alayhe wassallam) in a certain way. So do not ask or wish

for something Allah did not destine for you.”10

Second Reason: We shouldn’t complain about our time; instead we should be

grateful to Allah ‘Azza wa Jall that we are living in these days. Why? If you

look at the status of the Sahabah, it is the highest status among the Muslim

Ummah; they are the highest, the best and the greatest. And then the Tabi’een

and then those who came after them11. How come the Sahabah were the best?

Some of the reasons include that the Sahaba built Islam from scratch; the

Sahabah came and there was nothing so they established the foundation of the

Deen whereas anyone else who came after them, the building was already

there and they came and added pieces to that foundation here and there; and

if there were any broken pieces, like bid’ah12, they would fix it. But the

foundation was already laid down by the Sahaba. And this is what made them

the best generation because their job was the most difficult job. It is important

for us to realise what is the demand of our times so that we fulfil it because

the things that at-Tabi’een emphasized on for example may be different from

the things that the Taba Tabi’een emphasized on.

To make this point clear: if Al-Bukhari (rahimahullah) came one hundred years

later and did the same thing, he would not have the same status that he has

among us now. If Imam ash-Shafi’i (rahimahullah) came one hundred years

later and did the same thing, he would not have the same status that he has

among us now. Why? Because the needs were different from time-to-time.

You will notice that the four Imam’s of Fiqh lived in same Century, and the six

Imam’s of hadith also lived within that same Century13. This tells you that the

need at one time was Fiqh and the need in another time was hadith. I am

saying this because if we want to serve Islam the best now, we need to

understand what is needed now.

We find that some brothers would go and emphasize on Da’wah while some

brothers will go and emphasise on ‘Ilm. We do need to emphasise on these

areas and every area, but if we were to ask ourselves the question of what is

needed the most in our time today, we would find that it is quite similar to

the time of the Sahabah because now we have reached to the lowest level that

we have reached in Fourteen Centuries.

So our time that we are complaining about, among all the other generations

after the Sahaba, although our time is not exactly the same it is the most

similar to the time of the Sahaba. Why? Because when the Sahabah came there

was no Islamic authority and there is no Islamic authority today and this was

not the case for fourteen hundred years. When the Sahabah came, they fought

entire surroundings including the two super powers – the Persian Empire and

the Roman Empire – and all the ‘Arabs around them that were against them.

And this is similar to our situation today and this wasn’t the case in our

history before. In our history before you would find Islamic authority, you

would find people to assist you in Al-Haqq, and there was a place to make

Hijrah to. Now we find that the whole world is waging a war against us and

this is similar to time of the Sahabah, which means the ajr of the people today

could be very great. We are not saying it is equal to the ajr of the Sahabah but it

is going to be very great. This is why Rasoolullah (sallallahu ‘alayhe wassallam)

has mentioned in a hadith that even though the best generation is of the

Sahabah, then the Tabi’een, then the Taba Tabi’een, there will be a generation of

people at the end of time and the ajr of one of them will be equal to the ajr of

fifty! So the Sahabah asked, “Fifty of us or fifty of them?” Rasoolullah (sallallahu

‘alayhe wassallam) said, “Fifty of you.”

So the Salah will be like the Salah of fifty Sahabah. You fast one day and it will

be like the fasting of fifty Sahabah. The ajr is multiplied by fifty, why? Because

of the difficulty of that time.

We notice that Rasoolullah (sallallahu ‘alayhe wassallam) said that towards the

end of time that there will be people who will be amongst the greatest of this

Ummah. Rasoolullah (sallallahu ‘alayhe wassallam) said in hadith that ‘Out of

‘Aden-Abyan14 will come out twelve thousand; they will give victory to the

Deen of Allah and they will be the best between me and them.’

They are the best between Rasoolullah (sallallahu ‘alayhe wassallam) and their

time. So we can wrap all of these Centuries, and they will be the best. The

reason is because their time will be most similar to the time of the Sahaba.

So why complain if you are living in the time of the new gold rush; not a gold

rush for gold but a gold rush for Hasanaat15? There are some times when the

economy is booming so fast and everybody becomes rich and then there are

times when things are stagnating and slow so these people wish they were

living in the time when economy was booming so they could become a

millionaire like those before. We are living in a time of a boom now; but we

just need to realize it and realize the amount of ajr that is out there waiting for

us if we just go and do something. The ajr is so great that it’s waiting for

someone to come and do something about it. If it comes at a time when things

are easy then the ajr is reduced. But if the time is one of difficulty, then the ajr

is increased.

Ajr is in accordance to the difficulty. So why complain about a time when

really, it is the best time?

If we are talking about the time when victory is around the corner, Wallahu

‘Alam if we are experiencing the knowledge of the Ghayb16 when Rasoolullah

(sallallahu ‘alayhe wassallam) said they (i.e., the Victorious Group) will be the

ones to give victory to the Mahdi, to ‘Esa ibn Maryam (‘alayhis salaam); if we

are close to that time, the ajr is astronomical, and we do not want to be

waiting on the sideline when all of this is happening; people are making

millions while you are sitting at home doing nothing. So we shouldn’t

complain about our time.

Rasoolullah (sallallahu ‘alayhe wassallam) said, “Indeed Allah gathered up the

earth for me so that I saw its eastern and western parts, and indeed the

dominion of my Ummah will reach what was gathered up for me from it.

(Saheeh Muslim #2889 collected that Thawbaan (radiyallahu ‘anhu))17

So this religion will reach to every continent, to every country, and to every

city. The banner of La ilaaha illAllah will enter into every city. This religion will

reach wherever night and day reaches; is there a place where night and day

doesn’t reach? So you O Kafir, O Munaafiq, if you want to hide away from this

religion you will need to go to mars or somewhere else! There will be no place

for you on dunya! So we must all agree that victory is on its way, but the

question is when?

Sheikh Abu Bakr Al-Shatery - Surat Al-Infitar

Such A Beautiful Recitation! MashAllah

Welcome Back

Assalaamu 'Alaykum,

I hope this post finds you all in good health and good iman, Insha'Allah. It has been nearly two years since my last update on The American Muslim. Much has happened during this hiatus...the world is definitely NOT the same.

There is much to discuss, however, I will not spoil the content of the upcoming posts by giving away too many details just yet. But, I can say this: The American Muslim is spearheading the Revival of Islam in the West. This blog will be fashioned in a manner as to describe all the pertinent issues (Religious, Political, Physical, Mental, etc) that confront The American Muslim in his/her search and reclamation of Identity.

Insha'Allah we will not sugarcoat anything, we will tell it exactly how it should be told....because in the end, we fear no one but Allah (swt).

MY IFTAR: Ramadan 2006

One of the less-traditional iftars of this year.

The Road to Guantanamo

**PLEASE GO TO GOOGLE VIDEO FIRST AND SEARCH BY "ROAD TO GUANTANAMO" TO WATCH THE MOVIE SO THAT YOU CAN WATCH IT IN A BIGGER FRAME Hands down, the most powerful film of the year. MUST SEE The Road to Guantánamo (Roadside Attractions), Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross' half-feature film, half-documentary about three British youths who spent over two years in military prison for no justifiable reason, is exhausting, depressing, slightly nauseating, and unfortunately necessary. It turns an abstract debate about human rights and the Geneva Conventions into a visceral experience of lived injustice: What if you were rounded up with friends on the eve of your own wedding; shipped to an American airbase to be shackled, beaten, and interrogated; and then sent without trial to languish in a cage in Cuba

The New Middle East

The confirmed plan for The New Middle East. Maybe another 10-15 years until we're there.

RAMADAN MUBARAK !!

Daily Hadith: Friday, September 22nd 2006

Volume 1, Book 2, Number 38:
Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, "Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings, the nights." (See Fath-ul-Bari, Page 102, Vol 1).


****INSHA'ALLAH all Muslims around the world will heed the advice of this hadith.

KILL KILL KILL....just like the Video Game!

Army Adds Real Soldiers to Video Game

By MATT SLAGLE AP Technology Writer
© 2006 The Associated Press

— Move over, G.I. Joe. The Army has found some recruits in its latest effort to enlist soldiers. In a campaign targeting teenagers, the Army announced on Thursday a new version of its "America's Army" video game, incorporating digital likenesses of eight actual soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We're trying to put a face on soldiers so that kids can relate to them," said Col. Casey Wardynski, director of the America's Army project. "It's hard to relate to a big green machine. This is a chance to get to know some of them who have done really outstanding things."


The "America's Army Real Heroes" program will also include a series of $10 action figures, based on the same real soldiers, in store shelves by Christmas, Wardynski said.

The program comes after the Army fell short on recruiting last year, the first time since 1999. As of last month, the active-duty Army had signed up 72,997 new soldiers, nearly 3,000 above its year-to-date target. The Army National Guard was about 200 below its target of 63,240, while the Army Reserve was almost 2,000 below its year-to-date target of 33,124.

Wardynski said the Army spends about $2.5 million annually on the free PC game, a first-person shooter in which players go through a simulated boot camp or team up with other real players online in three-dimensional battles.

About 27 million copies of the taxpayer-funded game have been distributed since its July 4, 2002, debut, and there are about 7.5 million registered users.


*****Ok, my take on this is pretty simple. The murder of innocent civilians around the world is being promoted and advertised as being as easy as pushing a few buttons on a video game controller. Don't you see how ALL of these war/shooting games are de-sensitizing the American youth to blood, gore and death. Kids are growing up today without concern or compassion for human life. They have been trained to kill in a competitive virtual world, so they can definitely duplicate these actions in reality. But what they are not trained for, are the psychological disorders that result from taking somebody's life. Mark my words, you will see thousands of American men return from the war and lose their minds. They will become alcoholics, their marriages will fail, their kids will be raised with divorced parents, and the viscious cycle will continue.

Also, I remember when I was growing up, I wanted to be a professional athelete. I admired them on tv and in video games, and tried to duplicate their actions in the real world. What happened to that seemingly wholesome ambition. Now, video games are teaching kids to steal cars, deal drugs, objectify women (and if you are a woman, sell your body), and kill kill kill.......does anyone else see a problem here ???

Muslims in the Matrix

It had been a while since I had seen the original Matrix movie, starring Keanu Reeves and Lawrence Fishburne, so I popped it in this week and immediately remembered what a great movie it was. Despite the underlying Atheism prevalant in the majority of its concepts, the movie still had some good things to take away from it. As American Muslims, we do need to realize that our day to day world can become a matrix-like fascade if we allow it to. If we chase the American Dream of money, cars, clothes, etc....then we will be blinding ourselves of our true purpose in life. But that is a choice that each of us, as individuals must make. In the movie, potential candidates selected by Morpheus are allowed to either take the blue pill or the red pill....the blue pill will let the person go back to living their 'normal' lives in ignorance without being able to remember a thing, but the red pill would allow him/her to further pursue the path of truth and reality. As Muslims, we must take the red pill (so to speak). We must make the decision in our lives that excessive worldly possessions, music, sports, movie stars, etc. MEAN NOTHING to us!! Nothing.

Think about it, think about what sort of peace of mind you would have, if you could focus all your energies on the worship of Allah (SWT), and if you weren't worried about your next car, your next vacation, or the next big sporting event. That, I believe, is the peace that we can each individually accomplish within ourselves with the help and guidance of Allah (SWT), The Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is quoted to have said, "What have I to do with worldly things? My connection with the world is like that of a traveler resting for a while underneath the shade of a tree and then moving on."

...at the end of the movie, Neo finally "sees" the Matrix for what it is, and is from then on unstoppable in his quest. Let us all see this world for what it is, and insha'Allah we will be unstoppable as well.

Tolerance and Ignorance in America

During my adolescence, I was more than intrigued by the characteristics of this American society. I would go as far to say that I may have been infatuated with it. All I wanted to do was play sports, go to a big name college, and have a "cool" group of friends. I wanted to be loved and respected by my American peers, I wanted them to think of me as one of them. Success in this life meant a big house, nice car and a good-looking wife. I was on the brink of selling my soul. Unfortunately for my American friends, their souls have already been sold (through the historical systematic destruction of morals in this Western culture). It would be extremely difficult for them to break the mold and find some sort of enlightenment. As for me, on the other hand, I was blessed by Allah to already have a solid foundation of faith on which I was raised. All I needed to do was "WAKE UP". I think 9/11 was that wake-up call. I realized that no matter how hard I tried, I would never really be considered "American". I realized that sides were being drawn in an idealogical battle, and I needed to pick one. I realized that Islam and the West were on a collision course... BOOM.....

here we are today...all that I hear in the news is anti-Islam propaganda. Muslims are being murdered throughout the world under a false War on Terror....the American public is being brain-washed to think that any person with a tan and a beard should be considered an enemy of America. The citizens of this country are trading in their Freedom for Security, and in turn are being enslaved by FEAR. I wonder how long until all Mosque's in this country are shut down....I give it another 5 years.

Through all this calamity, it is very frustrating for young Muslims to control their emotions. We don't know who to blame. We hear Muslims blaming Muslims, we hear them blaming George Bush, we hear them blaming Israel, we hear them blaming an International Jewish Conspiracy.....so in turn, we end up blaming it on everyone......every American, every Israeli, every Jew, etc. It's not right....but it's what happens in a time where TRUTH is as elusive as an honest politician. Muslims become angry and isolated. And that is exactly where they want us. They want us to lose control and become intolerant, so they can turn around and say "see America? we told you so"

We cannot allow that to happen. We have to keep our faith in Allah. Muhammad (SAW) displayed the greatest examples of tolerance, and we must learn from his blessed life. We are surrounded by ignorance, and it is very easy for us to hate the ignorant people in America. But let's look at it from their point of view. Like I said earlier, they do not have the foundation of faith to fall back on like we, Muslims do. They are being brain-washed by the elites of our Nation into hating Muslims and supporting the murderous wars in the Middle East. All they know is what they hear from the mainstream media outlets, and what has been slowly conditioned into their minds. Americans are all victims, and we must pray for them to escape their ignorance.

That is why Dawah is so important. We need to do our part to try and reverse the negative images of Islam. It is our duty as Muslims to do this. At the same time, we must make sure that we are doing are best to practice Islam as Muhammad (SAW) practiced and as the Quran taught us.

Let us pray that Allah (SWT) grants us all mercy for our sins and guides us to the perfect path of Islam.

CAPITALISM.... Survival of the Fittest

A Cruel Ideology in the Economy:
Capitalism and Fight for Survival

HARUN YAHYA

The term capitalism means the sovereignty of capital, a free and unrestricted economic system totally based on profit and where society is in competition within these criteria. There are three important elements in capitalism: individualism, competition, and profit-making. Individualism is important because people see themselves not as a part of society, but as "individuals" standing alone on their own two feet. "Capitalist society" is an arena where individuals compete with one another under very harsh and ruthless conditions just like that described by Darwin, where only the strong survive, where the weak and powerless are crushed and eliminated.

According to the logic capitalism is based on, every individual–and this can be a person, a company, or a nation–must only fight for its own development and advantage. In this war, the best producers survive, the weak and incompetent are eliminated and vanish. What is seen as worthy of attention is not human beings, but economic development, and goods. For which reason the capitalist mentality feels no ethical responsibility or conscience for the person whom it crushes underfoot and climbs on top of and who has to live in great difficulty. This is Darwinism put into total practice in society in an economic way.

By proposing that it was necessary to encourage competition in all areas of society, and announcing that it was necessary to provide no opportunities or support for the weak in any field, the foremost theoreticians of Social Darwinism prepared a "philosophical" and "scientific" support for capitalism.
In the view of Herbert Spencer, the main theorist of Social Darwinism, who introduced the principles of Darwinism to the life of society, if someone is poor then that is his mistake; nobody must help this person to rise. If someone is rich, even if he has acquired his wealth by immoral means, that is his competence. For this reason, the rich man survives, while the poor man disappears.

Social Darwinists used Darwin's theory of evolution as a "scientific" comment on capitalist societies. As a result of this, human beings began to lose such concepts, which religion had brought with it, as mutual assistance, philanthropy, and co-operation, and instead of these virtues to give pride of place to selfishness, cunning, and opportunism.

***TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE BY HARUN YAHYA PLEASE VISIT HIS WEBSITE

http://www.harunyahya.com/articles/32capitalism.php

The So-Called Leader of America


Do you really think that someone this simple-minded could be making decisions that impact the entire world? Puppet Presidents.....gotta love em.

Harun Yahya: The Dark History of Satanism

Brief segment of interesting video detailing the history of Satan worship and its relation to Knights Templar and Freemasonary. A Must See!

Daily Hadith: Saturday, August 19th 2006

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr:

A man came to the Prophet asking his permission to take part in Jihad. The Prophet asked him, "Are your parents alive?" He replied in the affirmative. The Prophet said to him, "Then exert yourself in their service."

(Bukhari)

False Arrests used to bolster Public Support for War on Terror

Charles Dharapak, AP
Prosecutors dropped terrorism charges against Osama Sabhi Abulhassan, left, and Ali Houssaiky.

Exonerated Cell Phone Terror Suspects Speak Out


DEARBORN, Michigan (Aug. 18) - Two Arab-American men originally charged with supporting terrorism after buying large numbers of cell phones say their experience should draw attention to America's fear and paranoia about terrorism.

Ali Houssaiky and Osama Sabhi Abulhassan said Thursday they hope law enforcement and the media will not be as swift to label Arab-Americans as terrorists in the future. Regardless, they said, they are out of the phone buying business.

"I hope this unfortunate turn of events will open some eyes and shed some light on the paranoia and xenophobia that is gripping the country," Abulhassan told reporters at a news conference.

"These are serious issues and they need to be addressed. We can no longer turn and look the other way. There needs to be accountability."

The men returned home Tuesday following a week in jail after prosecutors in southeast Ohio dropped the terror charges, saying they could not prove a terrorism link. The 20-year-olds from Dearborn say they were targeted because they are Arab-Americans.

Law enforcement officials in Ohio deny that claim.

The men still face misdemeanor counts of falsification that allege they initially gave deputies different names than the names that appeared on their IDs. Prosecutors said the men also initially said they were buying phones for a relative's construction business, then changed the story.

On Thursday, they declined to discuss the current charges or name the distributor who they said was paying them an average of about $4 per phone.

The FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent bulletins early this year warning police departments around the U.S. to be alert for bulk purchases of prepaid TracFones, which could be used to finance terrorism.

But William Swor, a lawyer representing Houssaiky and Abulhassan, noted that the bulletins do not say that buying phones is illegal. And he said a climate of fear about terrorism led to the initial charges.

"These boys have been tagged as suspected terrorists," Swor said at the news conference. "Even though the charges have been dismissed, experience tells us those tags are going to hang around for a long time."

The men, who said they had been working buying phones for about a month and a half, now hope to clear their names. They plan to return to college this fall: Abulhassan at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and Houssaiky at Wayne State University in Detroit.

"We just knew it was going to be a matter of time," Abulhassan said. "We were actually happy that it was only a week. That was our only concern - how long was this going to drag on. Now we're just looking to put an end to this."

Within days of the Ohio arrests, three Palestinian-American men from Texas were charged in Michigan after nearly 1,000 cell phones were found in a van they were driving. But a county prosecutor dropped the terror-related charges and they now face federal consumer fraud charges.

The Texas men were ordered held at least until a detention hearing Friday.

In Ohio, Houssaiky and Abulhassan acknowledged buying about 600 phones in recent months at stores in southeast Ohio, according to an affidavit filed to support the arrest.

On the current trip, they said they planned to buy up to 300 phones at $25 each. The two said the phones were for the owner of a Dearborn gas station, the affidavit said. Officials also said they found 12 cell phones and $11,000 cash in their car.

"It's easier to use cash," Houssaiky explained. "It's quicker."

Houssaiky said he previously had traveled in Kentucky, Tennessee and North and South Carolina buying phones and was only stopped once by police in South Carolina and was not arrested. He said he had about 100 phones at the time of the stop in early July.

Houssaiky said they only had made two stops in Ohio to buy phones before they were arrested.

08-18-06 01:11 EDT

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press.
http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/exonerated-cell-phone-terror-suspects/20060817180709990004?cid=505

****Mash'Allah these young gentlemen are brave enough to speak out, intelligently, against these false arrests and fasle charges. It is absolutely ridiculous that they were held for one week and charged with conspiring to commit terrorism by using their prepaid phones to trigger explosives and bring downt the Mackinac Bridge. How did the expert investigators and the Prosecutor from Caro, MI determine that they were gonna bring down that bridge??? Because they had pictures of the bridge in their digital camera from a tourist visit..... Are you kidding me, so I am not allowed to take pictures of any buildings or landmarks now?

**Also, how come the 'charges being dropped' and the Muslim brothers 'speaking out' didn't garner front page attention in our mainstream media sources the same way it did when they were first falsely arrested??